Meeting in the Middle
by KaytheAppreciator
Summary: Alya wants to find out Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities. Adrien wants to protect his lady from prying eyes. Their opposing goals lead to a broken friendship. How will they fix everything?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

After escaping the clutches of another of Hawkmoth's akumas, the Pharaoh, Alya had the chance to question Ladybug about the textbook that she had dropped earlier. Like the kind superhero that she was, Ladybug did not hesitate to offer her an explanation, saying that she was trying to keep up to date with the times. However, Alya didn't really know what to think of the information that Ladybug had given her. She was left with a lot more questions than answers.

That evening, after reassuring her family that she was unharmed, she retired to her room to continue her relentless speculation. She spent time studying in order to familiarise herself with the history of the miraculous holders. After a few weeks of reading and intense research, she came to a conclusion.

"No, there is no way that she's that old", she murmured one evening, still looking at her photos on the Ladyblog. After having spoken to Ladybug, the Martiniquais was almost convinced that the superheroine was telling the truth. That was no longer the case.

In fact, Ladybug's book had conveniently disappeared after the fight. "If the book wasn't a clue about her real age, she would have asked me to take it back to the library for her", thought Alya, her mouth wide open due to the new realisation.

"But of course", exclaimed the Ladyblogger, "She lied again to throw me off!"

She quickly got up from her chair and grabbed her diary. The little notebook was a work of art, full of photos, scribbles and theories.

Whilst flipping through the orange notebook, Alya found a page on which she had written the word "IMPORTANT" with a red pen. Her eyes brightened and her smile widened. Could it be an essential clue that she had forgotten to review?

She read the page expectantly, but its contents saddened her. She tore the page out, scrunched it up and threw it in the bin. The page had said:

**Chloe = Ladybug?**

Alya had made a mistake that day. She cringed as she tried to block the horrible memory. Due to some poor reasoning, she had been sure that Chloe was Ladybug. Of course, she was wrong and the situation finished with an akuma in her phone.

Alya still did not understand her own stupidity. First of all, Chloe looks nothing like Ladybug. On top of that, Chloe treats everyone around her like garbage. Ladybug is compassionate and understanding, even to akumas that are attacking her.

"I can't make that kind of mistake again", she whispered, her palms sweating, "Never again." She breathed softly until she was calm, and embraced her searcher's mentality once again.

"Well done, Ladybug", said Alya, poking her finger in the face of a poster of Ladybug, "You almost discouraged me, but I am smarter than that." The untamed determination burned in her nut-brown eyes.

She wrote the results of her research down until midnight, when her eyelids closed all on their own. She fell asleep, her head buzzing with vivid images of the two saviours of Paris.

Alya had been dreaming peacefully on her bedroom floor, when her mind abandoned her on the roof of a building situated somewhere in the vibrant city. She was looking upon the city skyline at night with admiration when, suddenly, Chat Noir leapt in front of her, causing her to scream and fall over. The two stared at each other without speaking. Upon witnessing her confusion, the leather-clad hero smirked.

"Poor Alya", he said whilst shaking his head, "she thinks that she has all the answers, but in reality, she doesn't know a thing."

Alya gasped, offended at Chat Noir's claim. She got up immediately to defend herself.

"Excuse me, but I am pretty sure I know more about Ladybug than even you do", she proclaimed arrogantly, "the Ladyblog is everyone's go-to source for news about you and Ladybug." She crossed her arms triumphantly, wondering if he would be able to denounce what she said.

"Oh really?" he asked with an eyebrow raised, "Okay then. Who is Ladybug?"

Alya paled at his question. The one thing that she didn't know was being used against her.

"Or better yet, who am I?" added the arrogant hero, a wicked smile etched onto his face.

Her lips quivered as she tried to find an answer for him. She wanted to prove him wrong but the fighting words never escaped her mouth. Upon seeing Alya's frustrated face, Chat Noir laughed hysterically at her before jumping down into the sea of buildings, quickly hidden by the cover of night. Whilst trying to stop him, the bespectacled girl tripped and fell into darkness.

Alya woke up in a panic, covered in sweat. The sight of her messy bedroom broke her out of her stupor, reminding her that she had only been dreaming. The blogger exhaled deeply and went to change into her pyjamas. As she took off her clothes, she thought about her strange dream. She could still hear the cat hero's mocking laughter in the depths of her mind. His comments were not necessarily false. She honestly had no idea as to who he could be. Almost all of her identity theories were about Ladybug and she had little proof to back them up.

"I need to work harder", she mused as she stroked her chin, "Who are the people under the masks?"

That was the ultimate question. The ultimate scoop.

After arranging her notes, she looked at her bed and scowled, hating her human need to sleep. She could be spending those hours finding answers as opposed to snoring all night long. Unfortunately, her eyes had had enough screen light for one evening. Her hero hunting activities waited until the next day.

Not too long after waking up, Alya started afresh. It was Saturday, so she had all day to theorise. Sat at her desk, Alya made extensive notes on her two targets.

"Black hair, blue eyes, short and slim, high-pitched voice, very athletic, graceful and balanced", she dictated as she wrote, "Ladybug's costume is very tight and it's obvious that she doesn't have the body of a mature woman."

Alya smiled at her profile for Ladybug. Now, on to the elusive kitty.

"Blonde hair, green cat eyes, slim body of a young man, very athletic, fast and flexible, with a not-so-deep voice."

The brunette filled her notebook with more and more useful details. "It's only the base of the project, but it's a good start", she thought out loud. She moved her chair to her bed, allowing her to fetch her phone from its charger. She opened some more pictures of the two heroes.

Finding more on Ladybug would be easy but on Chat Noir, not so much. Her current methods clearly needed to be updated. There needed to be more difficult questions, more tracking and maybe even less visibility on her part.

Just as she was about to brainstorm on the cat's identity, an explosion shook her apartment.

"Nobody will ever make fun of my car after today", cried the enraged akuma, before she destroyed a whole row of parked cars.

"Perfect", yelled Alya, grabbing her phone to turn on the camera, "Another opportunity to get some juicy info".

Alya ran down the street, following the akuma's trail of destruction, until she caught up to her. Just as she started talking into the camera, Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the scene. Alya filmed the entire spectacle from the flying cars to the lucky charm. After using a tiny replica of the victim's car to taunt her, Ladybug led her into a trap, allowing Chat Noir to destroy her car keys, where the akuma had taken residence. The heroes had saved Paris once again.

The victim's name was Rachel. Her friends had mocked her used car, calling it cheap and outdated. Ladybug advised her to not listen to them.

"If your car is good enough for you, other people's opinions don't matter", explained Ladybug, "So no need to get worked up over some unwarranted comments."

"You're right" she conceded, looking admirably at her rescuers, "Thanks Ladybug! And thank you too Chat Noir."

"We are at your service", added Chat Noir, before bidding the young lady goodbye.

"Pound it", chorused the duo, in celebration of another one of their many victories.

Chat Noir's ring blinked, but he still had a bit of time to go. Ladybug was already three spots down on her earrings. "I'll see you later for our evening patrol, kitty", announced Ladybug, using her yo-yo to grab a nearby chimney.

Her partner smiled and took a bow. "See you soon mil-"

"Ladybug! Chat Noir!" Alya called out excitedly, "Could I trouble you for a quick interview?"

Ladybug shook her head and smirked. Her bestie would never back down, even after getting akumatised because of this same desire.

"Not today Alya", said Ladybug apologetically, "I am about to de-transfo…"

"Do you think you will ever let the people of Paris know who you are really?" interrupted the enthusiastic reporter, putting the phone right in Ladybug's panicked face.

"Euh…well…I…" she blurted out as she struggled to put together a sentence. Her nerves were fried further when more people pulled out their phones. The constant beeping of her miraculous was not helping either.

Chat Noir saw the discomfort on his lady's face, so he courageously stepped in between her and Alya. He did not mind the cameras that much. His modelling work had given him enough experience to deal with them.

"Thanks for the save kitty", whispered Ladybug before zipping away immediately.

Alya frowned as Ladybug sped off. She had really been hoping for an answer but all was not lost. Chat Noir was still here after all and he did not seem camera shy at all.

"A response for the Ladyblog, Chat Noir?" prompted Alya, as the hero waved to everyone's cameras.

Chat Noir thought for a moment. He had found Alya's question both interesting and intrusive. As much as he wanted to know her identity, he understood the importance of keeping it a secret.

"My lady and I will always be there for our wonderful Parisians, but please understand that we can't reveal everything to the public", he explained to the camera, "It is for our safety and yours"

Chat Noir's ring started beeping, signalling him that it was time to make his own exit. He bid the camera goodbye with a kiss before bouncing away using his baton.

"And that's all for today, Ladyblog lovers! Tune in next time for more on your favourite heroes", said Alya as she cut the livestream.

She sighed as she put her phone away. She hadn't managed to get any more key information. Although, she had been pleasantly surprised when other people came to join in with the interview. They seemed to get the heroic duo to stay longer.

At that moment, she had an epiphany. She had been going about this all wrong. As much as she would like to have had all the glory of unmasking Ladybug to herself, she would probably be more successful if she got others to join in. With that in mind, she ran back home to film a very special announcement for the Ladyblog.

"Hide well little heroes, your identities won't be secrets for much longer", she said in a sing-song voice, before turning on her laptop webcam to record herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Some weeks later…

On a cold night, in the centre of Paris, Chat Noir completed his night patrol. He was playing calmly with his baton, on a roof, patiently waiting for his lady to finish inspecting her own side. He was made aware of a presence when he heard someone land near him.

"It seems to me that our city is safe under my watch, or should I say under my claws?" he said confidently, showing off his dagger-like black claws.

Normally, Ladybug would respond by laughing, by sighing hopelessly or with a comeback joke. This time, she was silent.

"That one wasn't so bad", he said, raising his shoulders in a sly shrug. Still no answer.

Chat Noir rubbed his neck, embarrassed that Ladybug was refusing to acknowledge his jokes. Thinking that maybe he had upset her, he turned towards her to apologise.

He recoiled a bit when his eyes fell on a figure dressed in a black cloak with a massive black hood, covering the majority of their face.

His grip tightened on his silver weapon instinctively. All of his muscles tensed in preparation for some kind of confrontation. His adrenaline rush died down after a cool breeze blew the cloak open, revealing Ladybug's signature costume underneath.

The cat boy placed his hand on his chest and breathed deeply to calm his throbbing heart.

"You really scared me there bugaboo", he whined playfully as he put his baton away, "What's with the batman get-up?"

The blonde's expression softened in concern when he finally noticed Ladybug's timid demeanour. Her body trembled whilst her eyes searched her surroundings fervently.

"Milady… What's wrong?" he asked softly, putting his hand on his partner's back, "You don't look so good."

The young girl gasped quietly at the unexpected touch, but her big hood did a great job of hiding her reaction. She turned to Chat Noir with a sheepish grin plastered on her face. A light blush accompanied the fake smile, since she had unconsciously been ignoring her caring partner's attempts to speak to her. To make matters worse, the last thing she had heard was the joke about Paris being protected.

"Oh… Chat Noir… umm… yeah, your joke was extremely funny, ha-ha", she stammered out, hoping that he would just drop the subject.

Chat Noir dropped his flirty act immediately. "Ladybug, even if that was the truth, you would be the last person to tell me", he contradicted, putting his hands on his hips.

"What's bothering you?" he asked, moving his hands from his hips to Ladybug's shoulders.

Ladybug had already made up fifteen lies to say in her defence, but her mouth stayed shut. She sighed deeply and looked up at her kitty's encouraging smile. Her lips curved to create a weak smile.

"Chat Noir, we have to keep our identities secret, right?" she started, lowering the hood a bit to make her face more visible.

"Of course, a super hero never reveals their true identity", replied the cat.

"Exactly", she affirmed as she gently caressed his cheek. "It is clear that you adore the attention from fans and reporters", she mocked playfully, "but don't you feel like, in these last few days, hiding our identities is a lot harder?"

The leather clad hero reflected on what she said. He remembered some bizarre questions that people had asked him during the week. The citizens were more intrusive. Some people even tried to stop them from leaving the scene to de-transform.

"In fact, yes", he said finally, "As if everyone has been mobilised to discover who we are under the masks."

"You tried to defend me, but it's like I can't escape the public eye. People follow me everywhere. It's embarrassing, annoying and frustrating!" She shouted the last phrase in anger.

Seeing that the situation was stressing Ladybug out so much, Chat Noir gave her a tight hug. She gladly accepted the kind gesture and her many tears found themselves on the black leather costume.

Chat stayed calm, permitting Ladybug to cry into his shoulder. She needed to lament on this situation. The young man was immobile but his brain was working to the maximum.

"What happened in the city? Why are so many people interested in our secret identities right now?" he wondered.

The hero examined the events that took place over the last couple of weeks, trying to find a lead. All of a sudden, a name rang loudly in his head.

Alya.

At school, while he was Adrien, Chat noticed that Alya was spending a lot more time on her Ladyblog. Instead of eating with her friends or playing during recess, she was hooked on the computers in the library.

"Chat Noir? Are you okay?" said Ladybug, worry evident in her tone. She felt better after crying for a bit. "You are not saying anything."

The green eyed cat noticed that he had been looking into space with a frown on his face. "Oops, sorry milady. I was just thinking about our situation."

The dotted girl smiled. "Did you figure anything out?" she asked whilst she wiped away the rest of her tears.

"Yes, I know who the guilty party is."

"Guilty? Guilty of what?" asked an astonished Ladybug.

"Guilty of all this!" he exclaimed, gesturing toward her black cloak and tear-stained face, "The girl who spread her desire to expose us."

"Who?"

"Alya Césaire."

At first, Ladybug had to suppress the laughter that wanted to escape from her chest. Alya was a bit crazy sometimes, but not to the level that Chat Noir was thinking, right?

However, her desire to laugh disappeared straightaway. For a month, Alya had not come to spend time with her girlfriends. She had always been busy with something.

"Yeah, busy with Ladybug", she whispered.

"Did you say something bugaboo?"

"Um yeah", she responded as she massaged her forehead, "I just said that you are right. Alya has always wanted to get to know us better." Ladybug's casual choice of words helped her to soften the blow from the revelation. She was not ready to think that her best friend was actually trying to hurt her.

"We have to talk to her. She is doing a lot more harm than good", added Chat Noir with his arms crossed against his chest.

Ladybug gulped as she imagined several different confrontations between Alya and the heroes that she adored so much. An akuma appeared at the end of each scenario. She had a better idea.

"No kitty. Let me take care of it myself, so that she doesn't think we are mad", she suggested, adjusting her cloak to cover her face again. She would do it as Marinette. There would be less tension, less hurt and a much lower possibility for an akuma to ruin everything.

Chat Noir relaxed. "Ah milady, always the peaceful and reasonable woman", he complimented, kissing her hand.

Ladybug laughs before pulling Chat Noir into a hug once again. "Thanks for cheering me up kitty", she whispered into his ear.

Chat's heart melted as he savoured his partner's warm embrace. "Anytime Ladybug", he replied as they pulled apart.

The dotted heroine tossed her yoyo into the air. "Well, I'm outta here! Bye kitty!"

"Until tomorrow milady", he answered, before launching himself into the sky with his baton.

As soon as he got home, Chat Noir dropped his transformation and walked tiredly to his bed. Meanwhile, Plagg immediately went to find himself a small roll of camembert to feast on. He had been interested in the miraculous duo's conversation about Alya, but he did not share their concerns at all.

"People are blind Adrien", announced the kwami of destruction as he munched away, sat on Adrien's pillow, "we don't need to worry about your detective friend."

Adrien lay down. "Not exactly, Plagg", declared Adrien, turning his head away from the putrid smell of the cheese. Back when he was speaking with Ladybug, he had wanted Ladybug and Chat Noir to find Alya and gently reprimand her. After having thought about the possible repercussions, the idea made him shake his head. It was a good thing that Ladybug had shot down that plan, because he had a better one.

Adrien smirked as looked up at the roof. "Ladybug doesn't want Chat Noir to intervene, but she didn't say anything to Adrien, did she?"

"Oh no," complained Plagg, who was already tired of his holder's scheming.

Ladybug flew in-between the buildings in her area until she reached her own house.

"Spots off Tikki", commanded the franco-chinese girl, making her costume disappear. She changed into her pyjamas and ran to pick up her phone.

"What's your plan Marinette?" inquired Tikki as she flew in front of a picture of Alya and Marinette, "Chat Noir is right. Alya needs to stop tracking you."

"Of course Tikki," agreed Marinette as she dialled Alya's number, "Alya is a bit obsessed with our secret identities, but she also loves us. The moment I explain that her activities are scaring us, she'll change her attitude."

Tikki smiled and nodded. "That's reassuring", she said joyfully, "I hope that it's as simple as you describe."

As she waited for Alya to pick up, Marinette frowned nervously. Convincing Alya to stop would be difficult, but she couldn't let herself get discouraged now.

That night, Marinette invited Alya to her place to play some video games on Friday evening, emphasising that it had been a long time since they had spent time together. Alya accepted excitedly and arrived early on the day.

After an hour of playing Mecha Strike 3, where Alya repeatedly lost, the girls put down their controllers to eat some pizza. As the Ladyblogger chewed slowly, she realised how relaxed she was at that point in time. For a few hours she had managed to keep Ladybug and Chat Noir out of her head, something that she was honestly grateful for. She was true to her mission, but it was nice to get a break from it all.

"Marinette?" began Alya, as she cleaned her greasy hands.

"Yeah?" replied Marinette, who was still psyching herself up to confront Alya about her current obsession.

"I really appreciate the invitation, and sorry that I haven't been very attentive to you and the other girls", she continued, with sadness evident in her tone, "It's just that, people are putting so much pressure on me to find out more info, and finding information about Chat Noir, in particular, is a lot harder than I imagined."

Marinette gave her best friend a warm smile and a pat on the back. Alya had just acknowledged her fixation and had provided the perfect opportunity for Marinette to get into the real meat of their conversation.

"That's okay, Alya. I know that you are very passionate about your journalism, but you're stressing yourself too much", she stated kindly, "Maybe it's time."

"Time for what?"

"Time for you to stop this pursuit", advised Marinette, "Ladybug and Chat Noir's masks protect them from Hawkmoth. It would be better to help them rather than endanger them."

Alya looked conflicted, as she absorbed the weight of Marinette's suggestion. She faced her blue-eyed friend. "Marinette, I understand what you are saying", she conceded, "I will have a think about it tonight. I promise."

Marinette's heart leapt at Alya's response. It may not have been an absolute victory, but it was a positive change nonetheless. It was safe to say that Alya was now considering the idea of quitting her identity hunt.

"You had better", scolded Marinette, giving her friend a fake punch in the arm. The two laughed and played together before Alya had to head home.

As soon as she left, Marinette did a little happy dance to celebrate the progress she had made. Tikki flew out and caught Marinette while she was doing some twirls. She took a moment to laugh at her holder's silly behaviour.

"Don't celebrate so soon", warned the kwami of creation, "She only said that she'd think about it."

"True, but at least she listened", countered Marinette, once she stopped twirling, "You expect her to leave her passion behind in only one night?"

"That's a good point", admitted Tikki, "I guess we'll know the final verdict tomorrow at school."

"Indeed", said Marinette with a firm nod, "Now who wants more macarons before bed?"

"Me!" yelled Tikki before cuddling Marinette's cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Somehow, both Marinette and Tikki had forgotten that the next day was Saturday, so they would not be seeing Alya at school. Throughout the weekend, Marinette had waited anxiously for a call from her best friend, but Alya seemed to be missing in action.

When Monday finally rolled around, Marinette was on cloud nine. There had not been a single akuma attack during the weekend, so she had had enough time to rest and complete her homework. She walked with a pep in her step to the school grounds, relishing the peace that she so rarely had in life.

In Marinette's purse, Tikki smiled to herself as she felt her holder bounce about happily. It had been a restful weekend for the two of them, since Marinette had not needed to transform.

Marinette entered the student locker room and did a quick scan of her surroundings. There were a couple of students around, but they were far enough away from her locker that they wouldn't be able to see or hear Tikki if she were to emerge.

The middle schooler opened her locker door to reveal her books and other belongings inside. As she looked for her English textbook, Tikki quickly flew out of her regular hiding place and hid in the darkness of the dusty storage unit.

"It's nice to see you so happy, Marinette", mumbled Tikki contentedly, "that free weekend did you a lot of good!"

Marinette smiled affectionately, before she kissed her sweet little kwami's forehead. "You got that right, Tikki", concurred the incognito heroine, as she picked up the textbook she had been looking for, "My life has been so good these past two days. At this point, even an akuma caused by Chloe couldn't ruin my joy."

"Who on earth are you talking to, Marinette?" asked a voice coming from the locker room entrance. Marinette shrieked in surprise, almost dropping the book in her hand. Tikki quickly hid herself behind a pile of spare PE clothes.

Alya had been watching Marinette, with one hand on her hip, and a mocking smile. "In fact, since when are you punctual?" teased the bespectacled girl, because she knew better than anyone that Marinette was always the last person to show up for every event.

"Hey, cut it out", pleaded Marinette jokingly, once she regained her footing. "I can be early… sometimes."

Alya chuckled at Marinette's poor attempt at defending herself. However, she was glad that her best friend was not late for once. They could address the elephant in the room immediately.

…

As promised, once she was sat in her room, after their little gaming rendezvous, Alya debated whether her desire to unmask Ladybug and Chat Noir was having negative effects on her health and social life. Marinette had spoken about how finding out their secret identities would not help anyone, and that had really shaken the brunette to her core.

On Saturday morning, she sat in front of her laptop, hugging a Chat Noir plush toy, that her little sisters had gotten for her. As she read numerous articles on the Ladyblog, her mind flickered back to the past few weeks. All that she remembered were the several hours that she had invested into her quest. The meals that her mother had cooked, the fun outings that her classmates had planned and even the topics that they had been learning in school were all a blur. Her grades had gradually worsened and she no longer paid attention to her duties as assistant class rep.

The barrage of realisations sent Alya into a state of misery. Marinette was right. Her "hobby" had completely consumed her life.

"It's time to make a change", she decided as she packed her schoolbag on Sunday evening.

…

All of her weekend deliberations had led up to this moment.

"Anyway, like I promised, I thought a lot about your little suggestion", declared Alya, "And I came to the conclusion that I have been taking this superhero thing a little bit too far."

Marinette stayed standing, stupefied into silence at Alya's direct statement. However, her mind was already having an early celebration. "I am very glad to hear that, bestie", stated Marinette reassuringly.

"I figured you would be", added Alya with a soft smile. "But I also stand by the fact that this information is very important to me and to the followers of my blog. We all have the right to know who is protecting us. I am not going to stop searching for answers."

Marinette did a double take when Alya finished explaining her plans. Her face twisted in confusion. She had been sure that she had at least made a dent in Alya's determination, but her classmate's decision proved otherwise. "So, you're just gonna keep at it?"

"Yes. I am just going to turn it down a notch so that I can focus on my family, friends and school again", explained the brunette further. "I know that you are scared, but I swear to you that it's not as serious as you think."

In a moment of rage, Marinette had wanted to attack Alya. Luckily, Alya was already making her way back to class. The Ladyblogger winked at her friend, hoping it would help her to feel better. "Okay, let's go. I have some news to share with the whole class", she announced in a voice that was higher than usual. "The last one in is a Chloe Bourgeois!"

Alya left the locker room, leaving Marinette standing in front of the door. The black-haired girl clenched her fists in anger. She blinked rapidly to keep some tears from falling.

Seeing that they were all alone, Tikki flew out of her hiding place to comfort her disappointed holder.

"Mission failed, Tikki", said Marinette with a sad voice. Her shoulders fell in defeat.

After she had succeeded in calming herself down, Marinette entered the class, where everyone was still waiting for the teacher to show up. Even though she had not cried, she looked unhappy and tired, as if she had spent hours weeping. She sat beside Alya, who was unfortunately writing research notes on a photo of Ladybug with Alix, Mylene, Juleka and Rose.

"Hi Marinette," cried the four other girls, once she settled down on her spot. Marinette gave a faint smile to greet them. However, her smile quickly turned into a frown of annoyance. They were chatting incoherently about the two superheroes. Marinette felt like she was seeing five different versions of Alya, a thought that made her afraid.

"Look at all these new details on Ladybug's identity", exclaimed Alya, pointing at a picture of her favourite superheroine, "I found out that she is…"

At that point, Marinette stopped listening. She pretended to be interested in the discoveries. Since her attempt to dissuade Alya had failed, she had to quietly put up with her unending analyses.

Whilst Alya was presenting the information, Adrien was looking at the girl gang discreetly. He did not like what he was seeing. Last weekend, several girls with blue eyes and black hair had been victims of harassment in the streets. It was the same thing for boys with green eyes and blonde hair.

"Because I don't have enough intrusions in my life already", growled the model.

"Are you okay, dude?" asked Nino, who had noticed the blond model's strange behaviour. "Why are you looking at them like that?"

"Alya doesn't know when to stop. Because of her, a lot of people are looking for Ladybug and Chat Noir's identities. This obsession of hers will end badly for everyone."

"Don't be like that, man. Alya is just a girl who is passionate about superheroes", explained the DJ.

Adrien rolled his eyes. Nino did not see Ladybug when she had been afraid of people on the streets. He would never understand.

"Woah,".yelled Alya, as she read her phone's screen.

"What's up?" asked Alix, scooting over to Alya's side.

"A man who follows the Ladyblog is proposing to use his helicopter to track Ladybug and Chat Noir when they are trying to leave."

For Adrien, her words was the last straw.

"Seriously? What is your problem?"

Alya looked at the source of the voice. She met the Adrien's frustrated face.

"What are you trying to say, Adrien?"

"What you are doing to Ladybug and Chat Noir is totally unfair. They protect us every day and in return you try to unmask them? Won't that just discourage them?"

Everyone watched Alya to hear her response. She had been surprised by the accusation, but she wasn't going to let him win.

"Excuse me, Adrien, but our heroes did not elect you as their representative. You can't speak for them because you don't know anything about them!"

"Maybe. But I am in the public eye because of my job, like they are. Therefore, I understand the importance of private life. You don't have the right to take that from them."

"You dare compare yourself to Ladybug and Chat Noir? You are just a weak model who wears clothes made by his rich and superficial father. You will never be similar to them."

"At least my father is known all over the world for his work. Your father is a nobody who looks after a bunch of stinky animals in a washed up zoo."

"Oh yes, the same Mr Agreste who bans you from leaving your house. Also, where's your mum? What kind of woman leaves her husband and her son for no reason? Yours, of course."

Mylene was tired of the show that she was watching. While everyone was fixated on the two students fighting, she exited the class to get help.

"You know what, Alya? You are the kind of journalist that people hate! You only think about your story. You are so ready to put yourself in danger because you don't care about your family or your friends. Their feelings aren't important."

Alya had no response. She stepped back while Adrien approached her menacingly.

"I won't be surprised the day where Ladybug and Chat Noir finally see that you are nothing but a pest who is helping Hawkmoth steal their miraculous, by giving him all of the information that he needs!"

The slap followed immediately after his last word. Adrien put his hand on his stinging cheek.

"Shut up! You can't to talk to me like that! You don't know anything about me!"

"What's going on here?" cried Miss Bustier. Everyone quieted down immediately. She was standing in front of the door, with a timid Mylene behind her.

"I am absolutely disappointed! How could you act like this, in class, in front of all your classmates? And you, Alya, with that violence?"

"He was the one who started everything", shouted Alya, tears rolling down her cheek. "He provoked me!"

"But she's the one who insulted my dad first", retorted Adrien.

"I don't care, okay? It doesn't change the situation." Alya and Adrien ceased speaking.

She scolded them in front of all the other students. While the teacher was speaking, the two students calmed down, remembering the words that they just said to each other.

Alya's tears showed no sign of stopping. "How could I have been so horrible?" she thought regrettably. "How could you talk about his mother like that?"

Adrien trembled slightly, anger and sadness bubbling up inside him. "Really Adrien? Her father's job?" he mused, "You don't deserve the black cat miraculous."

Ten minutes of the class had been wasted in order to speak to the students. Coline put a hand on each student's shoulder.

"Since you both look like you've had a little think, make up by giving a nice hug to the other person", the teacher commanded gently.

Alya stared at Adrien. Adrien stared at Alya. Neither of them wanted to speak to the other person, so two seconds later, they turned away to face opposing sides of the class, their arms crossed in defiance. Coline pinched the bridge of her nose, in frustration. "Okay then, wait outside. I am going to start the lesson and then take you to the director's office."

After giving the rest of the class some exercises to do, Coline took the two culprits and presented them to Mr Damocles. When she returned, she sat down to relax. Seeing her students fighting was a real horror for her. Fortunately and unfortunately, she had not been there to see the whole thing.

"I need more details on the whole argument", she said to herself. "Two statements from people who were present should do the trick."

Now, this was the hard part for the exhausted teacher. Who could she trust to write down honest accounts of the story? Marinette and Nino were too close to the culprits. Chloe and Sabrina would twist the story in Adrien's favour. Mylene had been absent for half of the fight. Who would be good choices?

"Rose, Max, you are going to write statements describing what happened with Adrien and Alya. I expect neutral statements, with no lies. Understood?"

The chosen ones responded with brief nods and the class continued.

After hearing Miss Bustier's story, Mr Damocles became annoyed. "How is that you, two of the school's most exceptional students, are the ones fighting in public?"

The friends looked endlessly at the floor, not saying a word.

"It's so uncharacteristic of you", continued the disgruntled principal, "This kind of inexcusable behaviour is typical for someone like Chloe. Perhaps you've been spending too much time with her Mr Agreste. In fact, I am certain that even Chloe, herself, has never laid a hand on anyone, Miss Cesaire.

Alya felt the sting of his last sentence. She made an attempt to explain herself but was immediately silenced.

"I don't want to hear it", said Mr Damocles. "With all the akumas that Hawkmoth has been throwing around, I assumed you would know better."

Now, it was Adrien's turn to feel the burn. His heart deflated at the terrible thought. What if he had gotten Alya akumatised? She would never forgive him and he would never be able to forgive himself, if that happened.

"In any case, you will certainly be punished and your parents will be informed in a few hours," he finished matter-of-factly as he typed on his computer.

"No," said Adrien, in an almost inaudible voice. His dad would be furious.

Despite her efforts to remain neutral during the scolding, Alya's heart smashed to pieces the moment Adrien spoke. She knew that her own parents would not be happy, but Adrien's father was not a normal parent. This little event could get him stuck at home forever.

"Well done for reminding him that his home life is just absolute bliss", thought Alya, whilst another tear fell from her eye.

"You may go back to your teacher", ordered the grey-haired man. The two students walk out, saddened by their ordeal.

The rest of the school day went quickly, with Alya and Adrien isolating themselves from their worried friends, whenever they were not in class.

The second the final bell rang through the halls of the school, Alya fled. She ignored the cries of her friends behind her. Adrien did the same thing. He escaped Nino by sprinting towards his bodyguard.

Marinette had tried to catch up to Alya before she sped off. When she reached the school entrance, she saw Nino staring in disbelief at Adrien's car as it departed.

Marinette stood next to the DJ, to offer some comfort. He let out an emotionless laugh. "Your best friend ran off too, huh?"

Marinette sighed. "Like Ladybug herself was calling her."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The Cesaire twins were playing peacefully, until they heard the apartment door open.

"Alya!" they yelled with joy. Welcome back… home?"

They came out to greet her, but she had disappeared into her room and locked the door. "Go away, you two," screamed Alya from within the room.

Ella and Etta gasped in disbelief at Alya's harsh reaction. Etta stuck her tongue out at the door. Even if Alya couldn't see it, it gave the little girl some satisfaction.

She was about to head back to the toys when Ella stopped her. "Etta, come back," whispered Ella, with a cheeky smile on her face. "Let's knock on the door loudly to annoy her. That way, she'll know not to be mean."

"Good idea," snickered the other twin. "We'll show her!"

The little scoundrels tiptoed over to the door, and raised their arms to begin the onslaught of knocks. "One, two, three," announced Etta, but their hands didn't get the chance to touch the door. A loud crash came from inside.

The two paled. Their sister's obvious distress scared them. They left running to find help.

…..

Adrien locked himself in his room, as soon as he returned home. He paced up and down the room; his fury burning hotter with each step.

Anger and sadness. A toxic and incontrollable mix. The two teenagers demolished their rooms, in order to release their anger.

"Adrien, stop! Please! If not, you will become a perfect prey for Hawkmoth," yelled a terrified Plagg, as he zipped about, trying to get his holder's attention.

Meanwhile, in a secret lair, filled with pretty white butterflies, a corrupted miraculous wielder was opening his giant window, overlooking the city. His evil laugh echoed in the spacious room.

"Ah, being a teenager," said Hawkmoth, with a smile. "Arguments filled with burning insults and broken hearts. So much hate and frustration to feed my akuma."

He was just about to darken the akuma, when the negative emotions of another Parisian stopped him. The signal was coming from the villain's own home.

"Adrien?" murmured the man, raising his head up. He took one last look at the insect on his palm. He so badly desired to take advantage of the opportunity to akumatise the girl again, but his heart swayed him in the opposite direction.

He breathed a sigh of defeat, letting the butterfly fly away. "Nooroo, dark wings fall", he said finally. Under the cover of a flash of magic light, Hawkmoth was gone. Gabriel Agreste was back.

The designer went to see his son. When he reached the bottom of the black stairs, his phone beeped.

"An email from Mr. Damocles? Maybe this is the source of his anger," he thought, as he opened the message on his screen.

As he ascended, Gabriel became annoyed. How dare that insolent girl talk about him like that? And Adrien! The Agreste name could be at risk because of this spectacle.

His rage grew and grew, until he read the part about his wife's absence. He stopped his advance, deeply hurt by what he just read. He wanted to respond, to defend his wonderful wife, but he was unable to.

Gabriel continued his ascent slowly. Emilie was a great mother, but of course, people wanted answers. A single tear fell onto one of the marble stairs. "It's okay, Gabriel," he said to himself. "She will be back soon. This is main reason why you must never give up on trying to get the miraculous." He repeated those words every time, he lost a battle with the two heroes. They were words of hope.

At long last, he reached the door to Adrien's room. The sound of crying penetrated the wood of the door.

He knocked loudly. No response. Gabriel opened the door quietly. Adrien was crying silently on his massive bed.

Adrien lifted his head, after the door opened. His father's slim form stood at the door. The room was silent.

Gabriel walked towards his son's bed, and hugged him tightly. Adrien wanted to speak but the words were stuck at the tip of his tongue. His father's presence helped him to calm down gradually.

….

At the Cesaire home, the twins went to find their parents, in order to help their sister. The worried couple forced their way into the room. Mr Cesaire took a step back in shock. Several pieces of furniture had been flipped all over the place.

In the centre, Alya wept.

"My daughter!" exclaimed the zookeeper, as he sat beside his distressed daughter. "It's alright."

Alya managed to look past her tears, to see the blurry images of her loving family. Their scared faces reminded her of what Adrien had said.

"_You are so ready to put yourself in danger because you don't care about your family or your friends. Their feelings aren't important."_

He had been right. These beautiful people had always been right there, in front of her, and she had ignored them to go after some dumb quest. Guilt overshadowed her soul, causing her to embrace her father, while burying her face in his shirt. He rubbed his child's back to comfort her until her sobs died down.

A few minutes later, the bespectacled brunette pulled herself together. "I'm so sorry," she began hoarsely. "I was angry because—

"We already know why," interrupted Mrs Cesaire, a disappointed look on her face. She and her husband had received Mr Damocles' email as well. They, like him, were unimpressed with the situation.

The disapproval of her parents weighed heavily on her. She could no longer look them in the eyes.

"This 'Adrien' boy, I often see him with the mayor's daughter," stated the bearded man. "I am not surprised that he could say such things. However, you insulted his father first, and you most definitely had no right to slap him or to talk about his missing mother."

Hearing her dad talk about Adrien like he was Chloe's best friend gave Alya mixed feelings. On one end, it made her feel good, because her dad felt her pain a little bit. But at the same time, it made new lumps form in her throat, because she knew that it was all untrue.

"I understand, Papa," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. "But, you are wrong about Adrien." The young girl removed her glasses to wipe her eyes.

"Adrien and Chloe are nothing alike. He would never have said those things if I had not provoked him. He is honest and kind. He just got angry with something… outlandish that I said. That's all."

…..

"I raised you right, Adrien. What happened in your class today?" Gabriel felt confident enough to bring up the sour subject, now that Adrien had stopped crying.

"It's all my fault, Dad. I am the one who started the argument. Alya said something shocking and I lost control. I should have just talked about it with her in private. I am really sorry." With that confession done, Adrien breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed his red, tired eyes.

Gabriel nodded, soaking up Adrien's pain. His overprotective nature cast his mind back to the days where Adrien was still home-schooled. This kind of thing would never have happened.

"Dad? Did you hear me?"

"Umm… yes! Yes I did. I understand that your reaction was in self-defence. Just know that everything that she said about our family is untrue. All I ask is that you apologise to Miss Cesaire, despite what she did to you. And, you must do all of the punishment that Mr Damocles has prepared for you."

Adrien nodded.

The designer stopped to consider his next sentence. He hated what had happened to his son. He wanted nothing more than to protect the only family that he still had. He squeezed his eyes tight as he made the painful decision.

"I had another idea, but I don't believe it would help us", he stated bluntly. "In any case, everything will surely sort itself out."

…..

"You really think so?" asked Alya.

"Of course, sweetie", replied Mrs Cesaire, giving her remorseful daughter a kiss on her forehead. "Now clean up this room immediately. I want it perfect before you go to school tomorrow."

Alya blushed as she took in the current state of her room. "Yes, mum," she said tiredly.

Once her family vacated the room, she saw the entirety of the mess she had made.

"Okay, I really need to find a better way to manage my anger."

….

Plagg could not remember the last time he had hyperventilated over anything. The amount of negativity that had clouded Adrien's heart and soul was overwhelming. The magical cat had been sure that his holder was going to get akumatised. Luckily that didn't happen.

In fact, Plagg witnessed something else that was out of the ordinary.

Gabriel had come to comfort Adrien. No yelling or coldness. Just warmth. It was both heart-warming and terrifying for the kwami of destruction. Overall, the change was welcome.

Once Gabriel was done talking to Adrien, he left to continue working. Plagg came out of the laundry basket in which he had taken shelter, when he heard Gabriel's knock on the door.

He rapidly flew in front of Adrien's nose, and gave it a small smack.

"That was too close, Adrien," affirmed Plagg with an uncharacteristically serious tone. "What if one of Hawkmoth's akumas showed up?"

Adrien exhaled softly, with a faint smile on his damp face. "I know Plagg," he said, pulling his kwami into a small hug. "I am still a human teenager, so my emotions will get the better of me every now and then. I will be more careful from now on."

Plagg smiled contentedly, until he remembered something more important than negative emotions.

"Great. So where is my consolation camembert? Your little outburst traumatised me to the point of hunger!"

Adrien's smile faded immediately. "And you just ruined the moment. Thanks, Plagg."

…

"Hey! It's your favourite blogger, Alya! Please leave a message after the tone."

Marinette and Tikki both sighed after having heard the pre-recorded message for the tenth time. They had been trying to get in touch with Alya all evening.

"Do you think she is still blue?" asked Tikki, as she munched on a cookie.

"I hope that's not the case", remarked Marinette as she plugged her phone in to charge. "If not, Alya will be akumatised a second time."

Tikki winced at the thought. Alya had been a pretty strong akuma the first time that they had encountered her. The red kwami did not want Marinette to fight her best friend again. The poor teenager was already worried sick.

"What about you Marinette?" demanded Tikki, as she perched on her bearer's shoulder.

"Me?"

"Yes. How do YOU feel after everything that happened?

Upon understanding Tikki's question, Marinette realised that she had not actually taken a moment to consider her own feelings. She began to think.

"I am not even sure, to be honest," she explained, shaking her head slowly. "Seeing my best friend and the boy of my dreams argue like that? It was… awful."

Marinette got up and walked towards the circular window at the other side of her room.

"It seemed like Alya borrowed Chloe's mouth for the day. I wanted to die when she talked about his parents like they were good for nothing. And of course, Adrien spoke to her like she was the class bully."

The pained teenager looked at bright streets of Paris to ease her troubled mind.

"Who knows? Maybe I was wrong about both of them."

Tikki gave Marinette a surprise kiss on the nose. "That's not true, Marinette. We all have flaws, but some of them show more than others. Honestly, I am happy that this happened."

Marinette looked astonished at Tikki's sudden confession. "Happy? Why?"

"The extent of Alya's obsessive nature was exposed and you saw that Adrien isn't as perfect as you think he is."

The blue-eyed girl bit her lip. Tikki was right. This experience had shown her what her two friends were capable of when they were angry. It had not been a pretty sight, but Marinette had definitely learned a thing or two.

"I guess that's true", she admitted with a low shrug.

"Exactly," stated the kwami. "But at least, in all of this, Adrien defended Ladybug ferociously. It seems to me that he really cares about you," added Tikki teasingly.

Marinette blushed a deep red. "Yes. That did actually happen, didn't it? Thanks Tikki."

"No problem, Marinette", said Tikki as she flew over to Marinette's laptop. She saw the time and her huge eyes widened.

"Marinette! Isn't it time for your night patrol?"

"What?" exclaimed the heroine, as she checked her phone screen.

"Oh no! We are thirty minutes late," yelled Marinette, before running up to her balcony ladder.

"Tikki, spots on!"

…

Chat Noir paced up and down at the meeting point. Why did Ladybug have to be late for patrol on this one occasion? Why today?

Her presence would have been a welcome distraction, but the universe seemed to deny him that luxury.

Alya had been his sole focus the entire evening. He wanted to forget her for at least a minute, but that was impossible. Instead, he ended up planning all sorts of ways in which he could make amends. None of them involved speaking face-to-face. That would be a bit too much for his fragile heart.

He breathed a short sigh of frustration, as he kicked a broken piece of brick roof into a nearby alley.

Even though he had beaten himself up after the argument, Adrien was fully aware that he had been in the right. At first, he wondered if he had exaggerated the gravity of Alya's actions. But after thinking back on it, he concluded that his friend's outburst had been an act of deflection.

He was still mad about it. Alya's comments had stung, and it felt good to let out his displeasure at that moment. He was protecting his identity, but more so that of Ladybug. He knew that she had a soft spot for Alya. They both did. That had probably even added to his rage, since the young reporter was so important in his life, in and out of costume.

As he twirled his tail with his hand, he thought about the things he had said in retaliation. He wanted to punch himself in the stomach. He had been a hypocrite. It would have been better, if he had just stayed on the initial topic of the argument. Instead, he had mimicked Alya's behaviour.

Deciding to rest his legs, he sat down with his legs crossed. He got a good look at his leather exterior, which shielded him from the scrutiny of onlookers. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

Maybe he could reach out to her as Chat Noir, like he had originally suggested to his lady. Adrien was clearly not ready to face his blogger classmate. Perhaps Chat Noir would have better luck with her. No hostility, no scathing words and a hint of admiration.

The blonde hero's countenance brightened at his intention. He had mustered up the courage to hop on over to the Cesaire residence, when Ladybug's panicked form appeared and spooked him. His shoulders fell slightly, as he knew that his meeting with Alya will have to wait.

"I am… so sorry for… for being late, kitty", she said in between deep breaths. "I lost track of time. I hope you weren't about to leave."

"What? Leaving without making sure that my city is flea-free as my fur? Of course not!"

Ladybug smiled, appreciating her partner's patience.

"Plus, one night without seeing your beautiful face would be too much for this cat!"

Ladybug's smile evolved into a full laugh after Chat Noir's last comment. "That's funny. I don't think I look forward to hearing your puns."

Chat Noir feigned hurt before laughing at the innocent jab. "Come on. Paris awaits."

Ladybug nodded, and the two sped off to take care of their city.


End file.
